States of an ecosystem

Abstract This chapter introduces and explains the concept of ecosystem states and describes the extent of influence invasive species have over the states of an ecosystem. It explains that ecosystem states are determined by the abiotic and biotic characteristics of the ecosystem. Invasive species shift the balance of the ecosystem's dynamics by amplifying some feedback processes while dampening others. Moreover, ecosystems can simultaneously exist in locally stable but globally unstable states. The chapter also covers the concept of bistable ecosystems, and how invasive species complicate ecosystem dynamics in potentially irreversible ways.